Member Since: 23 Jun 2012
Location: Glossop
Posts: 460
Driving to Menorca
Given the cost of flights, car hire when we get there, and SWMBO's dislike of flying I'm contemplating driving to Menorca this year.
Wanted to see if anyone has driven to the island and wondered how long it took, with reasonable overnight stops, from the Manchester area and any hints/tips/advice on the whole journeyDiscovery 4 HSE Luxury Santorini MY12
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Presumably you would drive to Barcelona & then catch the ferry to Mahon.
I have often driven to Barcelona, in various Land Rovers & also once each in my MGA & MGB BT V8.
Sometimes I take the Brittany ferry to Bilbao or Santander & drive back through France, sometimes drive both ways.
I would have thought that it's eminently doable.
NJSS
13th Jun 2023 1:52 pm
edwardandtubs
Member Since: 23 Jun 2012
Location: Glossop
Posts: 460
Yes, I think the ideal route would be via the euro tunnel, down to Barcelona and across via the ferry to Mahon.
I'm trying to gauge costs/how long it would take with a stop or two etc - never really done a big road trip like this beforeDiscovery 4 HSE Luxury Santorini MY12
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Mini Cooper S
How long between stops is very much a personal issue.
I'm 81 & my partner is 78. I'm quite happy to drive much further in a day (maybe 600 miles or more) than she is (250 to 350 miles).
Barcelona is some 820 miles for the tunnel exit, so you probably want to stop at least once. To some extent this will be dependant on the departure time for the ferry to Mahon, as you will want to arrive in Barcelona in good time.
SWMBO would insist on two overnight stops, and this is what we will be doing when returning from Callas, which is some 800 miles to Cherbourg where we catch the home bound ferry. We stop on the way back near Clermont-Ferrand and then within a few miles of Cherbourg.
We go out by ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao which is about 380 miles from Barcelona, so a sensible day's drive.
Lots of options to explore. Good luck, let us know what you decide & how you get on.
NJSS
13th Jun 2023 4:16 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73080
You could drive and Mrs NJSS could fly out to tie up with you getting there and able to pick her up at the airport. Road trip for you and nice and easy day for her. OK, she’s not keen on flying but nothing a few VCs or G&Ts wouldn’t fix.
13th Jun 2023 4:45 pm
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14388
I'm looking to drive to Mallorca in October. I'm so bored of flying so thought I'd make a road trip of it with the family. Looks like they will fly and I'll meet them there At least it makes it easier carrying the bikes.
Anyway, I'm planning to Eurotunnel it over and go via the west of France, mini safari through the Pyrenees, down to Barcelona and then ferry to Palma.
Return plan is Palma to Barcelona ferry, drive to Bilbao / Santandar and get the ferry back to Plymouth or Portsmouth.
I'm looking forward to it and have decided to go at my pace and stop where and when I want to. I'll book open tickets so I'm not constrained by trains or ferries. New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
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13th Jun 2023 10:23 pm
James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Riyadh, KSA
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Did a similar trip to that several years ago Moo, France, across the Pyrenees then down the Med but we ended up at the family home in the Costas for a few days before heading back across the middle of Spain. We were camping the entire way. Absolutely superb trip and remaining flexible, as you say, is key.
First trip was in my old TD5, and then did it again in the D4. Funnily enough SWMBO and I were talking about this at the weekend, to do it now I'd buy/build an exped trailer.D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
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At least it makes it easier carrying the bikes. 
